Strother MacMinn

Strother MacMinn (1918 – January 19, 1998) was an American car designer, author, and educator. While noted for his contributions to Road & Track, Motor Trend, and Automobile Quarterly and for helping found Toyota's Calty Design Research studio in California, MacMinn was widely known for an automotive design teaching career at Pasadena's Art Center College of Design that spanned fifty years — noted students include J Mays, Chris Bangle and Wayne Cherry.[1]

Strother MacMinn
Born1918
Died(1998-01-19)January 19, 1998 (age 79)
Pasadena, California
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Car designer, educator, and motoring journalist
Employer(s)General Motors, Henry Dreyfuss, Toyota's Calty Design Research
Known forInstructor at Art Center College of Design

Former Vice President of Design for General Motors Chuck Jordan reflected that "if you are in a car today, Mac probably influenced its design,"[1] saying also that "no one influenced car design more" than MacMinn.[2]

Background

Growing up in Pasadena, MacMinn befriended Frank Hershey, who worked for Murphy Body Company. When Frank moved on to work for GM, he helped MacMinn get his first job at the age of 17 in the Buick studio at General Motors Art and Color Section.[3]

Career

In 1937, Harley Earl assigned MacMinn to a new studio to develop the Opel Kapitän. MacMinn left GM before World War II and then returned for a short time after the war ended.[4] He also worked for Frank Springs at Hudson.

After the war, MacMinn worked for the industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss. In 1948, he began teaching at the Art Center College of Design and remained there for 50 years.[5]

In 1973, he helped found Toyota's Calty Design Research and remained with them until 1983.[6]

MacMinn wrote for publications such as Road & Track, Motor Trend, Automobile Quarterly, and Sports Car International, and for museum catalogs.[7] He was the chief honorary judge for several years at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.[8]

Notable designs
1958 MacMinn Le Mans Coupe
1958 MacMinn Le Mans Coupe

References
  1. Jim Donnally. "Strother MacMinn, January 2017". Hemmings.com.
  2. "Strother MacMinn, Design Instructor, 79". The New York Times. January 24, 1998. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  3. "Strother MacMinn 1918–1998". Coachbuilt.com, Inc. 2004. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  4. Armi, C. Edson (1988). The Art of American Car Design. The Pennsylvania State University Press. ISBN 0-271-00479-7.
  5. Gold, Jered (October 14, 2010). "Wheels in Motion: A Look at Art Center's Transportation Design Department". Art Center College of Design. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  6. Rechtin, Mark (October 29, 2007). "Creation of Calty launched new era of California car design". Automotive News. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  7. Silk, Gerald (1988). Automobile and Culture. Harry N. Abrams, Inc. ISBN 9780810918153.
  8. Oliver, Myrna (January 24, 1998). "Strother MacMinn; Auto Designer, writer, teacher". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  9. Hacker, Geoffrey (September 21, 2011). "Strother MacMinn's LeMans Coupe – Style, Design, Beauty, and Grace All Rolled into One Great Car". Forgotten Fiberglass. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  • Gantz, Carroll (May 2, 2011). "MacMinn, Strother". Industrial Design History. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
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